The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-08-27

now anu Jnen 10 wipe nef eyes
What does Noah say, Uncle AbeP"
l asked.
Abe's rambling answer, given in 2
weak and wandering voice, was empha-
sized with frequent sobs and ejacula-
tons by listening Della.
HE done says he amt got no call to
wait. De low-down niggers is twittin'
him dat he KANT Ia keer OBJ his baby,
an he lows he won't STAN it. He got
Miss Nancy Riggs to work over t his
house, an Lily won't be no harm, he
say, fer gwine home. 1 done telled him
he oughter have her be brung up same
way her mudder was, cl'ar oh de mean
niggers an de white trash. Den he
say his fodder b'longed to Marse Ran
dolph's folks 'foah de wah, same's
men DEFY, an he knowed how to
brung up childun. don see no help
fort; recken dat baby got ter 60"
"Bress de little lamb!" sounded Aunt
Delia's hollow voice, from the recesses
of the pantry, It'll jes' bout kill
me, 'spectr'
Noah doesn't intend to make his
home away from the city, does hep" l
asked
"N-no," conceded Abe, as it seemed,
somewhat reluctant to show the exact
foundation for his grief. "He gwine-
ter move Onter b street."
"Isn't that the next street to your
own?'
at amt furder."
"Why, then, you can see her very
often" l argued. ut isn't as though
she were to be taken from Washington.
You mustn't lose heart, Uncle Abe, so
long as the child is hardly out of arm 5
reach. Aunt Della, 1 rely on you to
help him look at the matter more
calmly"
81 kaintw moaned Della, at the
window. "Pears like nobody knows
how lub-'Lizy, you mizzable little
scamp, git outer dem raisins No,
don't; you take dem raisins; take any
tng My gracious goodness, l KANT
let her go way fun mel"
The bright and saucy face of little
Eliza peered out at me from the win
dow, as Della ended her mingled
'scold" and lament The child
chubby hands were filled with raisins.
She held them up to me triumphantly.
"Unker Abe'll pay 90 for zese,
Mis'er WILL" she said with a mischiev-
Gus nod and smile. If he don't,
Aunt Dely'll sap him. Tinker Abe!
Tinker Abe!' she cried, "come see my
cubby-house in the cellar"
Eyes, chile" was Uncle Abe's re-
ply "Marse viii, he turned
mournfully to me-''it's jes' s'if she
wa gwinter move away. Wen dat
baby's once out oh our sight, der's no
, tellin' whar she is. OATS de way we
feel bout lettin' her 90. She mout' s
, well be in Souf Ameriky as ter be one
: street of. We want her wild us, whar
: we kin find her. "
l must own that the sympathy which
a l felt for the old couple came very near
| binding me, at that moment, to the
: ethics of question. On our removal to
$ Washington, two years before, we had
employed the husband and wife, on the
: earnest recommendation of trusted
r friends; and the faithful service which
a they had rendered, not to mention the
$ sterling character of which they hourly
e showed themselves possessed, had in.
e spired in us a very deep interest in
1 their welfare.
Every morning at breakfast-for oul
k friends, | should have said, returned t.
h their own home at night, remaining
G with us during the day only-Delii
5 favored us with the neighborhoo(
: gossip of Noah's triumphal progress to
: ward his baby.
n Regularly her bulletin ran: NOAH
e bought chany set;" dat chile
: gwinter hev Sunday silk dress dat'l
e stan alone;" Noah lows he gwinte
: mex Aower-gyarden mex yeah;" Il Sc,
# Miss Riggs, an she say Noah dom
Q pucchase goat"
1t was evident that Della was accom-
II modating herself to the inevitable
n Every bit of news was given with
t more eXultant accent than had marked
e the delivery of the preceding one. A
IS for Abe, he regarded his wife with al
injured expression, so often as sh
.
h head and signing dismally.
t. BY the Tuesday preceding the da,
IS on VIII CHI Noah was to claim his baby
e Della had arrived at state of perfec
? contentment, while Abe had grown +
s. wear such a look of bereavement a
is might befit one who had lost ever
o friend.
e On that very day little Eliza mystic
4, OuSlv diSaDnparpdi